Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman and I thank the Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, whenever we attended to matters in our district over the last year, when many of our constituents are facing the most catastrophic time in their life, it may be a catastrophic illness or a personal matter that changes or skews their whole life-style. We are seeing the financial markets and the structure of financial calamity alter the lives of Americans.

I think it is important to note that this Congress, this new Congress, has made an effort step by step to respond to the needs of Americans. I thank Mr. Issa for his work and that of our full committee and the leadership of the Senate to bring us S. 386 which amends the Federal criminal fraud statutes to reach the full range of fraud and other financial crimes that have come to light as the financial crisis has unfolded.

It is important for America to know that we will hold those accountable for the malfeasance and the criminal acts that they have engaged in; for example, the Bernie Madoff issue, with so many people losing not only their sole possessions and resources, but in essence some would say losing their lives.

This amends the security fraud statute to include commodities fraud. It clarifies that it is a felony for a mortgage banker to knowingly make materially false statements on a loan application or overvalue property. We can attest to the fact that this has happened.

And in keeping with that, I am also supportive of H.R. 1728, that is, the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act.

For those of us at town hall meetings and who have listened to any number of those who are in foreclosure, they told us that they would see papers that they had signed come back with the altering of their rates, with the altering of their income, with the altering of certain vital points that would then, in essence, put this fraudulent document in a position for the individual to receive a loan on false premises. Therein lies the underpinnings, if you will, of this collapse; the overexerting, if you will, of the market by lending to people who could not afford the homes, by miswriting on the documents. All of this came about.

In the mortgage bill that we will be discussing over the next 24 hours, I was glad to argue on the point of language dealing with predatory lending which is also covered in S. 386, as we have indicated, and as well to provide an amendment that provides for an individual knowing how much their mortgage and interest would cost over a period of time. It is all right to be able to go in and fill out papers that indicate that you have a down payment of $2,000, but it is another thing to know that you are buying a house for a million dollars or $5 million, or more over a period of your lifetime, and whether or not that individual, that particular purchaser, understands the facts in the documents before them.

The bill that we have before us amends Federal money laundering statutes to make them more effective in the context of fraud, prosecutions and ensures their appropriate use, and explicitly made fraud against the TARP and economic stimulus programs also a felony.

There is a lot of money out there, Mr. Speaker, and there is certainly the possibility that all of those moneys can be used in a fraudulent manner.

I believe it is important for the Members of this body but also the American people to know that we are working. And I also add in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we are doing a lot of good work today. I also support the legislation, H. Res. 14, that acknowledges the importance of the Border Patrol in combating human trafficking. I am working to ensure that they have extra language to help them with additional Border Patrol agents and also to fight the guns and drugs that have a lot to do with human smuggling. The American people need to know the work that we are doing.

I am in support of S. 386 because it puts a pin in the balloon of fraud that has hurt so many people. I would ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 386, Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act that was introduced in this Congress by the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Representative John Conyers from Michigan. This timely legislative initiative is aimed at fighting fraud and protecting taxpayers. If passed, this bill will help Americans recover from the present economic crisis. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

This legislation is designed to combat fraud by increasing vigilance and accountability concerning the manner how American tax dollars are spent. The types of fraud covered by this legislation include financial fraud, corporate fraud, contracting fraud, and mortgage fraud.

Because recent history has demonstrated that large government outlays of money has attracted persons attempting to create fraud, this legislation provides the Congress with the opportunity to identify viable solutions to fraud and misuse.

Current federal law enforcement uses a number of criminal statutes to prosecute fraud. The criminal penalties for fraud are found in Title 18 of the United States Code. This bill extend the application of these penalties to new areas.

Specifically, this bill will increase accountability for corporate and mortgage fraud and will safeguard against future fraud on those programs that Congress recently developed to restore America's economy. This bill provides increased funding for the expanded role of the Department of Justice. Financial institutions, mortgage lenders, and other private entities are held accountable. This bill will target face statements made to financial institutions and false statements made by financial institutions, i.e. in the overvaluation of property.

H.R. 1292, To amend Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, establishes a grant program to authorize funds to states to work with information sharing and training programs focused upon the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of terrorism, economic and high-tech crimes and will aid in the creation and maintenance of intelligence led police and information sharing.

The bill provides the FBI with additional funding to combat financial fraud and identity theft. This additional provision of funding is responsive to the role that fraud has played in the housing crisis. This bill provides the FBI with greater funding to combat fraud. Its purpose is to address the corrupt and fraudulent practices of ``flippers'', ``scam artists'', and ``mortgage fraud rings.''

President Obama has signaled that he will freeze releasing additional TARP funds to AIG because of its mismanagement (i.e., AIG was using TARP funds to pay for employees bonuses). The TARP bill proscribed the use of the TARP funds and specified that there would be repercussions if the TARP funds were used wrongly. There are many companies that used these funds inappropriately.

The fist sign of the crisis that America presently finds itself in occurred in March 2008 when investment bank Bear Stearns turned to the federal government and competitor JP Morgan Chase for assistance in addressing a sudden liquidity crisis. At that time, the Federal Reserve provided JP Morgan with funds to complete the merger. Later, in July 2008, the Federal Deposit Insurance Company seized control of IndyMac, the nation's largest home lender.

In September, the federal government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship. Since August 2008, the federal government has invested billions of dollars into financial institutions. Much of this money was given directly to large banking institutions. Other money was distributed through the Troubled Asset Relief Program. This program was supposed to increase liquidity in the credit and lending markets. Some of this money, it was later found was mismanaged and was used to buy other banks.

On October 3, 2008, under the TARP, Congress authorized $700 billion for the Treasury to buy troubled assets to prevent further disruption in the economy. After the Act was passed, the Administration decided to use a portion of the $700 billion to recapitalize some of the nation's leading banks by buying their shares. Despite this purchase by the government, many banks had no intention of making new loans. In allocating the TARP fund, Treasury made a determination about which banks would survive and receive funds and which banks, usually smaller, would not. By the end of 2008, nine of the largest banks were participating in the TARP program. AIG, Bank of America, Citigroup all benefitted.

For some aspects of the present crisis, I believe that there were a number of conscious decisions undertaken by bankers, financial institutions, and other lenders that have had a direct and adverse effect on borrower.

I also understand that some Mr. and Mrs. Main Street Americans played a role. Many made false statements or exaggerated their income or engaged in other types of fraud in an effort to secure a mortgage that they could not afford. This bill is designed to take an even-handed approach and to stamp out fraud, mismanagement, and false statements whether they occur on Main Street or Wall Street. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today in support of H. Res. 382, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 3 through May 9, 2009''. I would like to begin by thanking my colleague Representative Bishop for introducing this resolution in the House, as quality education should be at the top of our priorities list. I urge my colleagues to support and acknowledge charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our public school system.

Charter schools deliver high-quality education, challenge our students to reach their potential throughout the United States, and provide thousands of families with diverse and innovative educational options for their children. Charter schools improve their students' achievement and can stimulate improvement in traditional public schools as well. These unique, public schools are authorized by a designated public entity that are responding to the needs of our communities, families, and students and promoting the principles of quality, choice, and innovation.

Charter schools take a revolutionary approach in educating our nation's students. Today, roughly 4,700 charter schools are now serving approximately 1,400,000 children in 40 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico this year. Charter schools continually demonstrate their ongoing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities. Some charter schools even routinely measure parental satisfaction levels while all give parents new freedom to choose their public school.

Charter schools nationwide serve a higher percentage of low-income and minority students than the traditional public system and deliver higher quality education. Chartering is a radical educational innovation that is moving states beyond reforming existing schools to creating something entirely new. Chartering is at the center of a growing movement to challenge traditional notions of what public education means.

Charter schools have demonstrated their commitment to high academic standards, small class sizes, innovative approaches and educational philosophies. Many parents choose charter schools for their small size and associated safety as charter schools serve an average of 250 students.

I am pleased that over the last 15 years, Congress has provided substantial support to the charter school movement through startup financing assistance and grants for planning, implementation, and dissemination. In addition, these schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, Congress, State Governors and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United States.

The intention of most charter school legislation is to: increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students, create choice for parents and students within the public school system, provide a system of accountability for results in public education, encourage innovative teaching practices, create new professional opportunities for teachers, encourage community and parent involvement in public education, and leverage improved public education broadly. I believe Charter Schools and the Nations Public Schools can work side by side to educate the Nations Children!

Competition from charter schools has been shown to increase composite test scores in traditional district schools. Furthermore, twice as many registered voters favor charter schools as oppose I, them. The more people learn about charter schools, the more they like

them. Congress must lend its support to these schools and their goals, especially since on average, the funding gap between charter schools and traditional schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average charter school ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a million dollars. Yet, twelve studies find that overall gains in charter schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter schools' gains higher in certain significant categories of schools and six find comparable gains to traditional schools. I ask my colleagues for their continued support of Charter schools and urge them to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 338, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Community College Month''. I would like to thank my colleague Representative Tom Latham for introducing this resolution, as well as the co-sponsors.

The American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Community College Trustees, and hundreds of community colleges nationwide recognize April as National Community College Month. They have many achievements to celebrate.

There are over 1100 community colleges in our nation, enrolling over 11 million students nationwide. Since the first community college was founded in the United States, over a century ago, community colleges have educated more than 100 million American minds, making incalculable contributions to our country and population. To this day, they contribute more than $31 billion annually to the Nation's economic growth and, by helping to provide a skilled workforce, are critical to our Nation's continued success and prosperity in the global economy of the 21st century.

I know about this from the achievements of my district, and the work done by among the finest of academic institutions--Houston Community College. Founded in 1971, under the wing of the Houston Independent School District--for example, initially using the district's campuses to teach night classes. In 1997 they began to transfer operations to community college district-operated campuses throughout the college's service area.

Today, they offer students a wide array of academic and work programs, from accounting to fine arts, as well as stimulating programs such as the Spring Branch Business Plan Competition--learning and career opportunities found across the city of Houston and the surrounding area, in six different colleges.

Perhaps, most notably, the Houston Community College System operates a television channel called HCCTV, which stands for Houston Community College Television, which began in 1994. It is aired on a number of local cable channels and streamed on the Internet, operating with a studio complex, which has one large studio unit, five edit suites, and a digital master control system, all of which are located at the HCC headquarters. Just this past Saturday, I attended HCC's graduation in Houston. It was a tribute to how community colleges can change lives.

This is only one community college. In 2009, community colleges in the United States will award, to these young minds, more than 500,000 associate's degrees and 270,000 associate's certificates. The students are a more diverse group in terms of age, income, race, and ethnicity than students attending traditional colleges and universities, making community colleges essential to providing access to postsecondary education.

They allow many older students to take courses part-time while working full-time, creating opportunities that otherwise would not be available and are affordable and close to home for most people in the United States. Community colleges provide job training for workers who have lost their jobs or are hoping to find better jobs, helping millions of people in the United States support themselves and their families.

I am here before you today supporting the goals and ideals of National Community College Month, and urging my fellow members to do the same. Let us, as a Congress, and as a country, congratulate the Nation's community colleges, and their students, governing boards, faculty, and staff, for their contributions to education and workforce development, and for their vital role in ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the Nation.

Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank Congressman Latham and my colleagues, for introducing H. Res. 338 honoring community colleges. I have long supported these institutions for the professional education they provide their students and I am happy to honor them today.

Community colleges in New Jersey serve over 150,000 students at 19 campuses.

They offer their students a broad array of certificate and associate degree programs--from business management to nursing, and engineering to philosophy.

That is why, as Assembly Speaker in New Jersey, I created the STARS program that allowed star high school students to attend any community college in New Jersey for free. Now that program has been expanded to allow these students to attend a four-year college after two high- performing years at their community college. I recognized the great education these institutions provide to students and I wanted to ensure that they remained a viable option for future students.

Community colleges play a vital role in our communities and for the students who attend them. I am proud to show my support for these fine institutions and H. Res. 338.

Mr. Speaker; I rise today in support of H. Res. 230 ``Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo'' and I would like to thank my colleague Representative Baca for introducing this resolution in the House.

May 5, or Cinco de Mayo in Spanish, is celebrated each year as a date of great importance by the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. This holiday commemorates May 5, 1862, the date on which the Battle of Puebla was fought. However, Cinco de Mayo is not ``an obligatory federal holiday'' in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.

Cinco de Mayo has become one of Mexico's most famous national holidays and is celebrated annually by many Mexicans and Mexican- Americans, north and south of the United States-Mexico border. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on significance beyond that in Mexico. The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin.

Cinco de Mayo is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin.

Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a civil war, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume.

The English, Spanish and French refused to allow President Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III.

The French, confident that their battle-seasoned troops were far superior to the almost amateurish Mexican forces, expected little or no opposition from the Mexican army. The French army, which had not experienced defeat against any of Europe's finest troops in over half a century, sustained a disastrous loss at the hands of an outnumbered, ill-equipped, and ragged, but highly spirited and courageous, Mexican force.

After three bloody assaults upon Puebla in which over a thousand gallant Frenchmen lost their lives, the French troops were finally defeated and driven back by the outnumbered Mexican troops. Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French invasion on Mexico City; a year later, the French occupied Mexico. The courageous and heroic spirit that Mexican General Zaragoza and his men displayed during this historic battle can never be forgotten.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. The Cinco de Mayo holiday is not only the commemoration of the rout of the French troops at the town of Puebla in Mexico, but is also a celebration of the virtues of individual courage and patriotism, which all Americans can appreciate. Cinco de Mayo also serves as a reminder of the close spiritual and economic ties between the people of Mexico and the people of the United States, and is especially important for the people of the southwestern States where millions of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans make their homes. In a larger sense Cinco de Mayo symbolizes the right of a free people to self-determination and should be recognized and honored by this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H Con. Res. 111, recognizing the 61st anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel. I would like thank my colleague, Representative Scott Garrett, for introducing this act of solidarity. I would also like to thank my fellow co-sponsors.

On May 14, 1948--61 years ago--the Jewish people of Palestine declared their independence as a sovereign state. Across the world, the Jewish people saw a new opportunity to reestablish their ancient homeland--the possibility of living, not as eternal outsiders, but as a nation.

Eleven minutes after this declaration, the United States became the first country to recognize the new state. This began a long, strategic partnership based on shared democratic values, friendship, and respect. To this day, Americans share an affinity with the people of Israel and view their country as a strong and trusted ally.

The new nation provided a refuge to millions who had survived one of the most glaring examples of man's greatest inhumanity to man. These survivors helped to found a democracy that made use of all the freedoms, we, as Americans hold dear ourselves, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and government by the consent of the governed.

Israel continues to serve as a shining model of democrat values by regularly holding free and fair elections, promoting the free exchange of ideas, and vigorously exercising, in the Knesset, a democratic government that is fully representative of its citizens. The leaders in this parliament have, as the times have required, led Israel as the nation defended itself from repeated military and terrorist attacks.

Likewise, when they saw the opportunity, the democratically elected leaders of Israel have worked for peace, as they did with the neighboring governments of Egypt and Jordan to establish peaceful, bilateral relations. These efforts continue to this day--despite the deaths of over 1,000 innocent Israelis over the last several years at the hands of suicide bombers and other terrorists--as the people of Israel continue to seek peace with their Palestinian neighbors, I will continue to work for a two-state solution and the saving of lives in Palestine and in Israel.

This is all to say nothing of the country's many other accomplishments, including significant global contributions in the fields of science, medicine, and technology.

That is why I stand here today--to recognize this simple truth--that the independence of the State of Israel is more than a single event--it is the stabilization of a region, it is the lasting friendship of a like-minded country--and it is the bond of sovereign friendship. That is what this resolution does.

To the administrations and Congresses that have, since its creation, stood by the people of Israel, working for their security and well- being, we give our praise. We further commend our allies who have helped us to strengthen our bilateral relations in recent years in the fields of defense, diplomacy, and homeland security. We also encourage them to continue their cooperation in resolving future mutual challenges, as we resolve, today and always, to continue ours. For that is also in this resolution.

Finally, I extend the warmest congratulations and best wishes to the people of Israel as they celebrate the 61 years of their noble

nation's independence and sovereignty. May they know many more, and thrive as a country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 103, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of Malaria Awareness Day'' and I would like to thank my colleague Representative Payne for introducing this resolution.

Every year, April 25 is recognized internationally as Africa Malaria Day and in the United States as Malaria Awareness Day. Although, malaria is a completely preventable and treatable disease which was eliminated from the United States over 50 years ago, more than 40 percent of the world's population is still at risk of contracting malaria. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1,000,000 people die from malaria each year,

the vast majority of whom are children under the age of 5 in Africa. I feel that the target of ending malaria deaths by 2015 is an achievable goal that the United States must aid in accomplishing.

As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, this resolution is important to me because roughly every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria, and more than 3,000 children die from malaria every day. The malnutrition and consequent chronic illness that result from childhood malaria leads to increased absenteeism in school and perpetuates cycles of poverty. In addition to threatening the lives of children this disease also takes a great toll on women as well. Malaria poses great risks to maternal health, causing complications during delivery, anemia, and low birth weights, with estimates by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that malaria infection causes 400,000 cases of severe maternal anemia and from 75,000 to 200,000 infant deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa.

An estimated 90 percent of deaths from malaria occur in Africa and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership estimates that malaria costs African countries $12,000,000,000 in lost economic productivity each year. The World Health Organization estimates that malaria accounts for 40 percent of health care expenditures in high-burden countries, demonstrating that effective, long-term malaria control is inextricably linked to the strength of health systems.

Fortunately, the heightened efforts over recent years to prevent and treat malaria are currently saving lives. Progress and funding to control malaria has increased ten-fold since 2000, in large part, due to funding under the President's Malaria Initiative (a U.S. Government initiative designed to cut malaria deaths in half in target countries in sub-Saharan Africa), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, and new financing by other donors. The President's Malaria Initiative has purchased almost 13,000,000 artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT), protected over 17,000,000 people through spraying campaigns, and distributed over 6,000,000 insecticide-treated bed nets, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has distributed 7,000,000 bed nets to protect families from malaria and provided 74,000,000 malaria patients with ACTs, and the World Bank's Booster Program is scheduled to commit approximately $500,000,000 in International Development Association funds for malaria control in Africa.

At the moment, public and private partners are developing effective and affordable drugs to treat malaria, with more than 23 types of malaria vaccines in development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vector control, or the prevention of malaria transmission via anopheles mosquitoes, which includes a combination of methods such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and source reduction (larval control), has been shown to reduce severe morbidity and mortality due to malaria in endemic regions. The impact of malaria efforts have been documented in numerous regions, such as in Zanzibar, where malaria prevalence among children shrank from 20 percent to less than 1 percent between 2005 and 2007, and in Rwanda, where malaria cases and deaths appeared to decline rapidly after a large-scale distribution of bed nets and malaria treatments in 2006.

A malaria-free future will rely on consistent international, national and local leadership, and a comprehensive approach addressing the range of health, development, and economic challenges facing developing countries. It is important that this Congress commits to continued leadership in efforts to reduce global malaria deaths, especially through strengthening health care systems that can deliver effective, safe, high-quality interventions when and where they are needed, and assure access to reliable health information and effective disease surveillance.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Conference Report on S. Con. Res. 13, Chairman, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2010, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2009, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2011 through 2014. I thank Chairman Spratt of the Budget Committee for his leadership and hard work on spearheading the effort to bring a budget to the floor that the American people can live with, helps fuel the engine of the government, makes America thrive, and makes it place that we all can be proud of. The President, the Conferees, and this Congress, should all be commended for helping bring this budget to the floor. I support the budget and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I support the budget for several important and distinct reasons.

Unlike the last Administration, which inherited a $5.6 trillion surplus, this Administration inherited an economy in steep decline, a budget in record deficit, and faltering public services due to persistent underfunding and inattention. The Congress has already taken steps to create jobs, help Americans regain their home, help Americans pay their bills and put food on the table for their families. The Congress has also taken steps to rebuild our economy. The Congress has done all of these tasks by enacting the Recovery Act. The budget is an economic blueprint for the future that builds from these initial steps by making strategic investments to rebuild our economy over the long term. The budget provides for increased investment in health care reform, education, and energy independence and at the same time puts the budget back on a path to fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

The budget is to be applauded as nothing short of a miracle. It makes strategic investments in education, health care reform, and energy independence and puts the country back on track to remain globally competitive. It puts us on track to cut the Federal budget deficit by more than half by 2013. The budget reflects the Recovery Act. The Obama Administration inherited a deficit of well over $1 trillion and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The budget builds upon the President's plan. It provides tax relief to middle-income families, creates jobs through investment in infrastructure, and extends unemployment benefits for millions of Americans.

The budget addresses eight years of Republic policies that have brought on America's current economic woes. So far, we have seen 25 straight months of housing price declines; 14 months of job losses and 4.4 million jobs lost, the most since World War II, with 651,000 jobs lost in February alone; unemployment is currently soaring above 8.1 percent and in the double digits in the minority communities across this great Nation; and 45 percent drop in major stock markets from their highs.

The budget supports the President's goals for Health Care Reform. The President's principles for healthcare reform include making health coverage affordable and available to all, improving safety and quality, and improving and providing Americans with a choice of health plans and physicians, including the choice of keeping their current health plan. The budget begins to address the rising health care costs. The average cost of an employer-sponsored health insurance policy exceeded $12,000 in 2008, more than twice what it cost ten years ago. The President's plan would reduce the inefficiencies that have caused these prices to soar.

The budget sets us on a plan to increase coverage. The number of people without insurance grew from 38 million in 2000 to nearly 46 million in 2008. Nearly 1 out of 6 Americans is without health care coverage. Most uninsured are in working families. Millions more are underinsured. The budget assumes that health care will be paid for, so it does not add to the deficit. Importantly, the budget supports improvements to medicare's payment system for doctors. The budget supports legislation on medicare physician payments to provide for efficiency and higher quality care, promote fiscal sustainability, ensure that primary care receives appropriate compensation, and improves coordination of care.

The budget invests in education. The budget builds upon the Recovery Act's historic investment in education. The budget includes the $100 billion in education funding provided for in the Recovery Act to help states maintain elementary, secondary, and higher education services. The Recovery Act targeted funds to Title I (Education for the Disadvantaged), Head Start, and special education, where the funding can be used to train more teachers to provide needed services. This supports Congress's efforts that resulted in increased maximum Pell Grant awards to $619 to a total of $5,350--the largest annual increase in history--and created the American Opportunity Tax Credit for eligible students receive a partially refundable tax credit of up to $2,500 to cover college costs. Simply put, the budget makes education more affordable and accessible and increases education funding. It supports early childhood education and supports improved school breakfast and lunch programs. The budget will afford over 31 million children a healthy and nutritious meal.

The budget builds upon significant funding and tax incentives in the Recovery Act by increasing our investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency by some 18 percent for 2010. These investments will spur new sources of energy that we can produce here, creating ``green collar'' jobs for American workers. It will promote energy independence over the long term.

I urge my colleagues to support the budget. It takes the appropriate steps to put the budget back on track for fiscal responsibility and sustainability. It will cut the budget deficit by more than half in four years. Specifically, it will cut the budget from $1.7 trillion in 2009 to $586 billion in 2013. It also improves responsibility through statutory pay-go. It includes investment in oversight and enforcement yielding savings.

Youth Jobs

The budget includes funding for summer jobs for youth. Our youth, and individuals that have opted not to go to college or institutions of higher learning, need to be engaged and employed. Employment will provide them with skills and aptitudes that are necessary to be productive in society.

Healthcare

The budget accounts for the cost of healthcare reform to ensure that the 45 million uninsured Americans (four million of which are children) have access to quality and affordable healthcare.

The budget accounts for the following:

Funding the Minority AIDS Initiative to build capacity among minority run non-governmental organizations and to conduct outreach services among minority communities.

Funding the Ryan White CARE Act to support care and treatment programs at the local level to address the needs of people living with

Madam Speaker, enough is enough. Today, I rise to add my appreciation to Carolyn Maloney and to all of those who finally got it all in place to be able to say ``no'' to the credit card abuses that have been abusing Americans on a constant basis.

H.R. 627, the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, is imperative to be passed today. It ends unfair, arbitrary interest rate increases, and lets consumers set hard credit limits. It stops excessive over-the- limit fees, ends unfair penalties for cardholders who pay on time, requires the fair allocation of consumer payments, protects cardholders from due-date gimmicks. As well, it has amendments that will stop the proliferating and the sale of credit cards to college students.

Can you imagine having a credit card and having a contract, and all of a sudden, like an adjustable rate, your rate spikes up without any knowledge and without any notice? It stops the small print where they can say all manner of things and never, never get the truth told.

Thank you for H.R. 627.

Madam Speaker, this has been a week for America, fighting the H1N1 virus and coming together as a Nation. But at the same time, this Congress and this administration have invested in America's going forward with passing our budget resolution and thank, thank, thank whoever you desire to thank, including the sponsors of this bill, finally a credit cardholders' bill of rights.

Last year in 2008, $19 billion in penalty fees on families with credit cards dealing with late fees, over-the-limit fees, and other penalties. This year, $20 billion. This is crashing down on the heads of hardworking families, college students. Enough is enough.

I am proud to stand up and support legislation that says to the American people you are in charge, not the abusive, under-the-table focus of credit card companies who continuously handle their business wrongheadedly, charging over-the-limit fees. And, therefore, this bill will limit to three the number of over-the-limit fees companies can charge for the same transaction. Can you imagine, they were doing it over and over and over again. It ends unfair double-cycle billing, ends the fact that you might be paying your

bill on time and yet they raise your interest rate without notice.

An amendment that I support as well is one that indicates if you were to lose your card, the credit card company should notify credit cardholders 30 days before closing their account, give the reason foreclosure, options to keep the account open, programs available to repay the balance, and the resulting impact on their credit card score.

Sometimes people are surviving on their credit card, but they're paying their bill. But yet the credit card companies have no mercy. And they don't have any mercy when they go after our children on college campuses and the parents don't even know that the children have it. Limit the credit card balance or the amount when young people are involved.

This is a great bill. Thank goodness for the credit cardholders' bill of rights for the American people.

Madam Speaker, Americans are taught to work hard and make money and to buy a house, but we are never taught about financial literacy. In these tough economic times, it is imperative that Americans know about financial literacy; it is crucial to our survival. Americans need to be prepared to make informed financial choices. Indeed, we must learn how to effectively handle money, credit, debt, and risk. We must become better stewards over the things that we are entrusted. By becoming better stewards, Americans will become responsible workers, heads of households, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders and citizens. I add my appreciation to Carolyn Maloney and Luis Gutierrez for their hard work.

I am reminded of how important this issue is to American society, as I was invited to attend a financial literacy roundtable panel on Monday evening at the New York Stock Exchange. The panel was sponsored by the Hope Literacy Foundation. The panel was moderated by John Hope Bryant. I was surrounded by some of the great financial literacy experts in the nation. At the roundtable, I discussed the importance of financial literacy for college and university students. It is important that students be taught financial literacy. The facts about students and financial literacy are astounding.

In 2008, 84 percent of undergraduates had at least one credit card. This figure is staggering. Young people who themselves might not even have a job are able to get credit cards. This is astounding because it begins the cycle of indebtedness.

Recent studies have indicated that young people do not even know basic financial topics such as the impact of student loans on one's credit, how to balance a checkbook, and the impact of automobile loans on one's credit.

Because of my concern that young people are not sufficiently informed about financial literacy, I have offered this amendment: To require financial literacy counseling for borrowers, and for other purposes.

This amendment is important because approximately two-thirds of students borrow to pay for college according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Moreover, one in ten of student borrowers have loans more than $35,000. Passing this legislation will ensure that our nation's college students will be more prepared when incurring student loan debt and help them to avoid default as student loans severely impact one's credit score. Currently there is about $60 billion in defaulted student loan debt.

Many students do not understand the reality of repaying student debt while taking out these loans. While most Americans have debt of some kind, student loan repayment is especially scary, as one cannot just declare bankruptcy and have their loans discharged. Due to the lack of financial literacy counseling for borrowers, student loan payments are often higher than expected. Recent grads are unable to afford the monthly payments resulting in them living paycheck to paycheck, acquiring credit card debt and in extreme cases, grads leaving the country in order to avoid repayment and debt collectors.

Students and parents are not currently receiving the proper or any information of the burden that their student loans will have once they graduate. This is possibly a result of the relationship between student loan companies and universities, as some lenders offer universities incentives to steer borrowers their way.

College campuses are one place that young Americans are introduced to credit and the possibility of living beyond their means. With proper loan and credit counseling the burden of debt incurred in college could be greatly reduced. Especially in this time of recession, financial literacy is one of the most important tools that we can give to our students in order to ensure their success in the future.

This amendment will provide financial literacy training to students taking out Federal Student Loans and will require a minimum of 4 hours of counseling including entrance and exit counseling. Counseling will include the fundamentals of basic checking and savings accounts, budgeting, types of credit and their appropriate uses, the different forms of student financial aid, repayment options, credit scores and ratings, as well as investing.

I support the rule and urge my colleagues to do likewise.

The rule prevents card companies from unfairly increasing interest rates on existing card balances--retroactive increases are permitted only if a cardholder is more than 30 days late, if a promotional rate expires, if the rate adjusts as part of a variable rate, or if the cardholder fails to comply with a workout agreement.

The rule requires card companies to give 45 days notice of all interest rate increases or significant contract changes (e.g. fees).

Requires companies to let consumers set their own fixed credit limit that cannot be exceeded.

Prevents companies from charging ``over-the-limit'' fees when a cardholder has set a limit, or when a preauthorized credit ``hold'' pushes a consumer over their limit.

Limits (to 3) the number of over-the-limit fees companies can charge for the same transaction--some issuers now charge virtually unlimited fees for a single violation.

Ends unfair ``double cycle'' billing--card companies couldn't charge interest on debt consumers have already paid on time.

If a cardholder pays on time and in full, the bill prevents card companies from piling additional fees on balances consisting solely of left-over interest.

Prohibits card companies from charging a fee when customers pay their bill.

Many companies credit payments to a cardholder's lowest interest rate balances first, making it impossible for the consumer to pay off high- rate debt. The bill bans this practice, requiring payments made in excess of the minimum to be allocated proportionally or to the balance with the highest interest rate. Protects Cardholders from Due Date Gimmicks.

Requires card companies to mail billing statements 21 calendar days before the due date (up from the current 14 days), and to credit as ``on time'' payments made before 5 p.m. local time on the due date.

Extends the due date to next business day for mailed payments when the due date falls on a day a card company does not accept or receive mail (i.e. Sundays and holidays).

Establishes standard definitions of terms like ``fixed rate'' and ``prime rate'' so companies can't mislead or deceive consumers in marketing and advertising.

Gives consumers who are pre-approved for a card the right to reject that card prior to activation without negatively affecting their credit scores.

Prohibits issuers of subprime cards (where total yearly fixed fees exceed 25 percent of the credit limit) from charging those fees to the card itself. These cards are generally targeted to low-income consumers with weak credit histories.

Prohibits card companies from knowingly issuing cards to individuals under 18 who are not emancipated.

Requires reports to Congress by the Federal Reserve on credit card industry practices to enhance congressional oversight.

Requires card companies to send out 45-day notice of interest rate increases 90 days after the bill is signed into law; the remainder of the bill takes effect 12 months after enactment.

I urge my colleagues to support the rule. Seventeen amendments were made in order. I will discuss my views on each below.

1. Gutierrez Amendment. This amendment offered by Representative Gutierrez, would allow issuers to charge consumers for expedited payments by telephone when consumers request such an expedited payment, and would make technical corrections; would require that all credit card offers notify prospective applicants that excessive credit applications can adversely affect their credit rating; would direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve to suggest appropriate guidelines for creditors to supply cardholders with information regarding the availability of legitimate and accredited credit counseling services; would require all written information, provisions, and terms in or on any application, solicitation, contract, or agreement for any credit card account under an open end consumer credit to appear in no less than 12 point font; and would require that stores who are self-issuers of credit cards display a large visible sign at counters with the same information that is required to be disclosed on the application itself.

I support this amendment and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. This amendment addresses the issue of financial literacy and ensures that the consumer is afforded information to make an informed decision about applying for and ultimately securing a credit card. Credit counseling is a key element and is of paramount importance. This amendment provides credit counseling to the consumer before the consumer gets into financial trouble.

2. Frank (MA), would require the Federal Reserve (1) to review the consumer credit card market, including through solicitation of public comment, and report to Congress every two years; (2) publish a summary of this review in the Federal Register, along with proposed regulatory changes (or an explanation for why no such changes are proposed). The amendment also requires the Federal banking agencies and the FTC to submit to the Federal Reserve, for inclusion in the Federal Reserve's annual report to Congress, information about the agencies' supervisory and enforcement activities related to credit card issuers' compliance with consumer protection laws.

I support this amendment and encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. This amendment ensures that the FTC and the Federal banking agencies are engaging in supervisory and enforcement activities related to credit card issuer's compliance with consumer protection laws. This is important to ensure that another credit crisis is not looming and is an appropriate step to take to prevent such crises from occurring in the future.

3. Slaughter (NY)/Duncan (TN)/Hastings, Alcee (FL)/Johnson (GA)/ Christensen (VI), would set underwriting standards for students' credit cards, including limiting credit lines to the greater of 20 percent of a student's annual income or $500, without a co-signer and requiring creditors to obtain a proof of income, income history, and credit history from college students before approving credit applications.

I support this amendment. During the 1990s and 2000s, credit companies began a massive campaign of inundating university students with credit card offers. Such advertisement and easy availability of credit to students had the effect of enticing students to apply for credit. The students would then become indebted and subsequently face economic hardship. This amendment would help ensure that a student would be qualified for credit that he or she could afford. This amendment is practical and it makes sense. I support it and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

4. Gutierrez (IL)/Peters, Gary (MI)/Edwards, Donna (MD), would require credit card issuers to allocate payments in excess of the minimum payment to the portion of the remaining balance with the highest outstanding APR first, and then to any remaining balances in descending order, eliminating the pro rata option.

I support this amendment. The inclusion of this amendment would inure to consumers. I support it and urge my colleagues to do the same.

5. Pingree, Chellie (ME), would require the Chair of the Federal Reserve to submit a report on the level of implementation of this bill every 90 days until the Chair can report full industry implementation.

I support this amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.

6. Polis (CO), would clarify that minors are allowed to have a credit card in their name on their parent or legal guardian's account.

I support this amendment. I believe that if young people are afforded credit cards and are taught how to effectively and safely use credit that it can be beneficial to them. This amendment would help in making children more financially responsible.

7. Jones (NC), would require the Federal Reserve Board, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies, to establish regulations that would allow estate administrators to resolve outstanding credit balances in a timely manner.

I support this amendment. Its inclusion would ensure that debts are not passed off to the state. I support this bill and urge my colleagues to support.

8. Maloney (NY)/Watson (CA), would require credit cardholders to opt- into receiving over-the-limit protection on their credit card in order for a credit card company to charge an over-the-limit fee. Allows for transactions that go over the limit to be completed for operational reasons as long as they are of a de minimis amount, but the credit card company is not allowed to charge a fee.

I support this amendment. This is the same principle that applies with respect to over the limit fees in banking accounts. The premise is reasonable and makes sense. I urge my colleagues to support it.

9. Hensarling (TX), would allow issuers to raise rates on existing balances if they provide consumers clear notification 90 days in advance, provided that the issuer has previously specified this ability to consumers in their contract and at least once every year thereafter.

I do not support this amendment. The whole idea behind this bill is to extend certain rights to the consumer. This amendment allows credit card companies to continue to raise rates without any regard as to whether the rates were reasonable in the first instance. I urge my colleagues not to support this amendment.

10. Hensarling (TX), would allow creditors to use retroactive rate increases, universal default, and `double cycle billing' practices as long as they offer at least one card option that does not have those billing features to all of their existing customers.

I do not support this amendment. The whole idea behind this bill is to extend certain rights to the consumer. This amendment allows credit card companies to continue to raise rates without any regard as to whether the rates were reasonable in the first instance. I urge my colleagues not to support this amendment.

11. Minnick (ID), would provide that the amount of a balance as of the 7-day mark, instead of the 14-day mark, following a notice of a rate increase would be protected from the rate increase.

I do not support this amendment. Allowing the balance as of the 14- day mark following a notice of rate increase that would be protected would help the consumer. I urge my colleagues not to support this amendment.

12. Price, David (NC)/Miller, Brad (NC)/Moran, James (VA)/Quigley (IL)/Lowey (NY)/Stupak (MI)/Sutton (OH), would require credit card issuers to provide enhanced disclosure to consumers regarding minimum payments, including a written Minimum Payment Warning statement on all monthly statements as well as information regarding the monthly payment amount and total cost that would be required for the consumer to eliminate the outstanding balance in 12, 24 and 36 months. Would require credit card issuers to provide a toll-free telephone number at which the consumer may receive information about accessing credit counseling and debt management services.

I support this amendment. It makes good sense and would help the consumer make informed decisions. It affords the consumer with credit counseling and debt management services which can be vital informational tools for consumers.

13. Davis, Susan (CA)/Carney (PA), Would require card issuers to notify cardholders 30 days before closing their accounts, the reason for the account closure, options to keep the account open, programs available to repay the balance, and the resulting impact on their credit score.

I support this amendment and urge my colleagues to support it. This amendment offers the consumer the last clear chance to self-help and to fix the consumers bad credit situation. Should the consumer not be able to improve the situation, the consumer must be informed about the resulting impact upon the consumer's credit score. This amendment makes sense. I urge my colleagues to support it.

14. Perriello (VA), Would require a 6-month period for a promotional rate for credit cards before the standard rate may be increased.

I support this amendment.

15. Schauer (MI), Would require creditors to post their credit card written agreements on their Web sites, and requires the Board to compile and report those agreements on its Web site.

I support this amendment. It promotes transparency.

16. Teague, Harry (NM)/Nye (VA)/Boccieri (OH)/Kissell, Larry (NC), Would restrict credit card issuers from making adverse reports to credit rating agencies regarding deployed military service members and disabled veterans during the first two years of their disability.

I support this amendment and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. This amendment ensures that veterans and servicemen are not prejudiced in their credit ratings because of deployment or disability. It is a small sacrifice for our servicemen and veterans who have given so much to protect this country. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

17. Schock (IL), Would allow consumers who have not activated an issued credit card within 45 days, to contact the issuing institution to cancel the card and have it removed from their credit report entirely. If after 45 days the card has not been activated it is automatically removed from any such report.

I support this amendment. It is a good commonsense amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I support the rule and the amendments that I enumerated above. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. I would like to thank Chairman Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee for his leadership in bringing this timely legislation to the floor. H.R. 1913 will provide assistance to state and local law enforcement and amend federal law to streamline the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. The key element of the bill is its expansion of federal jurisdiction to cover crimes motivated by bias against a victim's perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. This legislation would make tremendous strides in garnering the civil and human rights of all Americans. Its passage would secure the equal protection of all Americans under the law. It is a landmark and long overdue piece of legislation.

This is an important bill and I have introduced similar legislation in this and prior Congresses. While I support this bill and urge my colleagues to support this bill I am disappointed that the bill did not include my amendment which I offered last Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support

Mr. Speaker, for my colleagues, I think you are aware that when we are on the floor debating this procedural concept called the rule, we usually try to go into the structure of the bill so that we can be clear as we move to general debate to offer our philosophical positions. So let me try to frame what this bill is actually about so that my colleagues can offer their opinions certainly during the general debate.

This bill, though it is called the hate crimes bill, it is also a focus on local law enforcement, and the concept is that all we are doing here is providing assistance to those local and State law enforcement agencies to ensure they have the tools to prosecute a case of hate crime.

Now, it is interesting that my friends on the other side have highlighted that we are separating out and enhancing the sentencing of those who engage in hate. Well, we have done that in years past. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and our discrimination laws have indicated that we abhor discrimination against anyone.

All this bill is doing is providing the resources on a State basis in the framework of Federal constitutional protection, so therefore if someone is in a church arguing or somewhere their political beliefs, their religious beliefs, it is not covered by this bill. We are not enforcing actions against that individual.

If you look through the bill, you will find it talks about assistance, financial assistance, to ensure that a case can be investigated. What we need to understand is a case can be investigated and the person can be vindicated, can be found not guilty or will not be prosecuted because the facts are not there. To burden local law enforcement and State law enforcement with getting to the truth is something that we want to help with, because the truth is in fact a part of ensuring the Constitution is in place.

Let me also make note of the fact that this is acts of violence. So free speech, as colorful as it can be, as we have all heard in our elementary school, words can hurt us, but it is only sticks and stones that hurt us.

I ask Members to support this legislation because it is fair on its face.

Will the gentlelady yield?

Will the gentlelady yield?

I agree. I would just ask the gentlelady if she has read section 3 that indicates the State would ask for the assistance, and then page 12 of the bill that indicates, it is part (d), I don't want to go back to the section, but page 12, line 9, indicates that no voice where someone is speaking or making expression will be in evidence to prove that that person is engaged in a hate crime.

I would ask the gentlelady if she looked at that thoroughly?

Mr. Chairman, let me thank you for your leadership and your persistence, and I thank my good friends for this vigorous debate.

I almost don't know where to start. But again, I would like to emphasize to my friends and colleagues what this legislation is about. It is about the assistance and the ability to help States in their prosecution of heinous hate crimes. And, as a very championed citizen of the State of Texas, I hesitate to make ourselves a poster child.

But having lived through the heinous crime of the dismemberment of James Byrd, I cannot help relating this legislation to what is real.

This will not bring down injustice on a person of faith who chooses to go into their pulpit or stand on a street corner and say that the wrath of the person they believe in will come down on those who practice lifestyles that they don't agree with, or a certain race or religion. They will go even further by saying the sword of justice, the sword of the Lord will come down and slay you.

That is not what this bill is about, but it is about individuals who would attack a person of color--in this instance, an African American male--in the dark of night, tie him to a pickup truck, and drag his human, alive body through the streets of Jasper, Texas. When they were finished, he was dismembered, his arms and legs and head were left along the bloody road. It was this heinous crime that led a State like Texas to pass its own hate crimes bill. But yet, hate crimes have gone on since that time, and State legislatures have noted, why haven't these cases been tried in this State?

This bill will help those instances.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 357, Supporting the goals and ideals of financial literacy month 2009. This resolution is timely. I would like to thank Representative Hinojosa for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. In light of today's economic realities--the fact that this is the deepest recession since the Great Depression with unemployment at record highs--I would encourage each of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Americans are taught to work hard and make money and to buy house, but we are never told about financial literacy. In these tough economic times, it is imperative that Americans know about financial literacy; it is crucial to our survival. Americans need to be prepared to make informed financial choices. Indeed, we much learn how to effectively handle money, credit, debt, and risk. We must become better stewards over the things that we are entrusted. By becoming better stewards, Americans will become responsible workers, heads of households, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders and citizens.

In 2008, 84 percent of undergraduates had at least one credit card. This figure is staggering. Young people who themselves might not even have job are able to get credit cards. This is astounding because it begins the cycle of indebtedness.

Recent studies have indicated that young people do not even know basic financial topics such as the impact of student loans on one's credit, how to balance a checkbook, and the impact of automobile loans on one's credit.

Because of my concern that young people are not sufficiently informed about financial literacy, I have introduced a H.R. 1325. H.R. 1325, To require financial literacy counseling for borrowers, and for other purposes. This legislation is important because approximately two- thirds of students borrow to pay for college according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Moreover, one in ten of student borrowers have loans more than $35,000. Passing this legislation will ensure that our nation's college students will be more prepared when incurring student loan debt and help them to avoid default as student loans severely impact one's credit score. Currently there is about $60 billion in defaulted student loan debt.

Many students do not understand the reality of repaying student debt while taking out these loans. While most Americans have debt of some kind, student loan repayment is especially scary, as one cannot just declare bankruptcy and have their loans discharged. Due to the lack of financial literacy counseling for borrowers, student loan payments are often higher than expected. Recent grads are unable to afford the monthly payments resulting in them living paycheck to paycheck, acquiring credit card debt and in extreme cases, grads leaving the country in order to avoid repayment and debt collectors.

Students and parents are not currently receiving the proper or any information of the burden that their student loans will have once they graduate. This is possibly a result of the relationship between student loan companies and universities, as some lenders offer universities incentives to steer borrowers their way.

College campuses are one place that young Americans are introduced to credit and the possibility of living beyond their means. With proper loan and credit counseling the burden of debt incurred in college could be greatly reduced. Especially in this time of recession, financial literacy is one of the most important tools that we can give to our students in order to ensure their success in the future.

This legislation will provide financial literacy training to students taking out Federal Student Loans and will require a minimum of 4 hours of counseling including entrance and exit counseling. Counseling will include the fundamentals of basic checking and savings accounts, budgeting, types of credit and their appropriate uses, the different forms of student financial aid, repayment options, credit scores and ratings, as well as investing.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to support my bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 46, ``The Family Self-Sufficiency Act of 2009.'' This bill expresses the importance of providing payment for an administrative fee to public housing agencies to cover the cost of administering family self-sufficiency programs in connection with the housing choice voucher program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Housing choice vouchers allow low-income families to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program.

A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family's choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family's present residence. Rental

units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by the PHA. A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.

Eligibility for a housing voucher is determined by the PHA based on the total annual gross income and family size and is limited to U.S. citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status. In general, the family's income may not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the family chooses to live. By law, a PHA must provide 75 percent of its voucher to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income.

Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local housing agencies, long waiting periods are common. In fact, a PHA may close its waiting list when it has more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future.

PHAs may establish local preferences for selecting applicants from its waiting list. For example, PHAs may give a preference to a family who is (1) homeless or living in substandard housing, (2) paying more than 50 percent of its income for rent, or (3) involuntarily displaced. Families who qualify for any such local preferences move ahead of other families on the list who does not qualify for any preference. Each PHA has the discretion to establish local preferences to reflect the housing needs and priorities of its particular community.

When the voucher holder finds a unit that it wishes to occupy and reaches an agreement with the landlord over the lease terms, the PHA determines a payment standard that is the amount generally needed to rent a moderately-priced dwelling unit in the local housing market and that is used to calculate the amount of housing assistance a family will receive. However, the payment standard does not limit and does not affect the amount of rent a landlord may charge or the family may pay. A family which receives a housing voucher can select a unit with a rent that is below or above the payment standard. The housing voucher family must pay 30 percent of its monthly adjusted gross income for rent and utilities, and if the unit rent is greater than the payment standard, the family is required to pay the additional amount. By law, whenever a family moves to a new unit where the rent exceeds the payment standard, the family may not pay more than 40 percent of its adjusted monthly income for rent. The PHA calculates the maximum amount of housing assistance allowable. The maximum housing assistance is generally the lesser of the payment standard minus 30 percent of the family's monthly adjusted income or the gross rent for the unit minus 30 percent of monthly adjusted income.

The family self-sufficiency (FSS) is a HUD program that encourages communities to develop local strategies to help voucher families obtain employment that will lead to economic independence and self- sufficiency. Public housing agencies work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience to enable them to obtain employment that pays a living wage. FSS was established in 1990 by section 554 of the National Affordable Housing Act. It is a successor program to project self- sufficiency and operation bootstrap. FSS program services may include, but are not limited to: child care, transportation, education, job training and employment counseling, substance/alcohol abuse treatment or counseling, household skill training, and homeownership counseling.

For the most part, PHAs must rely on their own or other local resources to operate FSS programs. However, under the authority of annual appropriations acts, HUD has been able to provide some funding for FSS program coordinators to assist PHAs in operating housing choice voucher FSS programs. With this act, the secretary shall establish a fee for the costs incurred in administering the self-sufficiency program under this section to assist families receiving voucher assistance through section 8. A public housing agency serving 25 or more participants in the family self-sufficiency program under this section shall receive a fee equal to the costs of employing one full- time family self-sufficiency coordinator. An agency serving fewer than 25 such participants shall receive a prorated fee. An agency that meets minimum performance standards shall receive an additional fee sufficient to cover the costs of employing a second family self- sufficiency coordinator if the agency has 75 or more participating families, and a third such coordinator if it has 125 or more participating families. An agency that received funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for more than three such coordinators in any of fiscal years 1999 through 2008 shall receive funding for the highest number of coordinators funded in a single fiscal year during that period, provided they meet applicable size and performance standards. For the first year in which a public housing agency exercises its right to develop a family self-sufficiency program for its residents, it shall be entitled to funding to cover the costs of up to one family self-sufficiency coordinator, based on the size specified in its action plan for such program.

The family self-sufficiency program will truly benefit those who really need a helping hand out of poverty. However, there needs to be monetary assistance given to the Department of Housing and Urban Development so that they might hire the needed staff to maximize the use of federal funds and improve the lives of others. The family self- sufficiency act will ensure that these objectives are met. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting ``The Family Self-Sufficiency Act of 2009.''